


White Paint Dries in Patches of Sunshine

by LoneRenegade



Category: Original Work
Genre: Bittersweet, Deaf Character, F/M, First Love, M/M, Novella, Original work - Freeform, Sad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-26
Updated: 2015-05-26
Packaged: 2018-04-01 09:06:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,514
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4013914
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoneRenegade/pseuds/LoneRenegade
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A deaf teen's lonely life is take for a spin when he befriends a family cursed by demons.</p>
            </blockquote>





	White Paint Dries in Patches of Sunshine

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry about the format issue. Wrote this on another site. But the content is there. Enjoy my first Novella!  
> \- K. Oneal

White Paint Dries in Patches of Sunshine  
By  
Kathleen M. Oneal  
For Gilman  
Contents  
Dear Dr. Hail  
1………………………………………5  
2………………………………………10  
3………………………………………16  
4………………………………………18  
5………………………………………20  
6………………………………………23  
7………………………………………28  
8………………………………………29  
9………………………………………32  
10……………………………………..33  
Epilogue………………………………36  
To: You From: Me……………………37  
Dear Dr. Hail,  
I guess there’s no reason for me to grace you with my presence at the office today. I’d like to think that getting better is the same as throwing away the old problem and getting new ones. So therapy isn’t for me. So you don’t need to be sucking all the money out of my father’s bank account. He has enough to worry about. So I’ve written this to keep your mind at ease about how my life progressed since I saw you when I was 17. You’ve known me since the accident and I can’t imagine myself without your… I can’t even finish that sentence. I know it isn’t true. So now that you know that I didn’t not get better in all these years I guess I should get on with the reason this letter is in your hands right now. I’ve had one heck of a high school career. And if you even think that I was the star quarterback or point guard, I might need to punch you in your little psychiatrist head. So now that you have retired and I am still not “cured” I must tell you what happened in the years I spent skipping sessions with you. So get yourself a glass of water and a soft recliner. You’ve got a lot of reading to do. (That water could be alcohol if you prefer). Enjoy  
1  
Welcome to my very own little circle of hell. My name is James P. Sullivan, and no, not after the famous blue and purple monster that everyone seems to talk about. That movie came out in 2001, get over it people. Anyway, back to my own circle of hell. It was during my years of high school, and no, this isn’t one of those high school sob stories about young love conquers all differences. It’s about my experiences in the hell hole known as Terrace Hall High School in Stonehenge, Indiana.  
When you see that tall guy with perfectly messy hair and a letterman jacket sitting in the cafeteria, throwing things at the loser table, I wish I could say that was me. Hell, I would even take random loser #3 at that table over what I really am. In reality, I’m that kid who sits in the corner of the cafeteria, hoping that nobody will talk to me. The reason I don’t talk to people is because I wouldn’t be able to hear what they said. Yeah, the secret’s out, I’m the deaf kid in the corner of the room that doesn’t speak. But you understand, Dr. Hail, right?  
Sometimes I watch the kids from my old circle. They seem to get along just fine without me, laughing and carrying on. I watch how my old best friend, Ronni DeLucca sometimes steals a glance at me then looks away, talks at the table, then the whole table turns and looks at me. Ronni and our friends used to have a lot of fun, pull pranks, get into trouble and all the things teenage boys should do. But now he and the others do it without me, leaving behind the deaf kid to fend for himself.  
I tried to ignore the fact that my best friend was my deceased mother. But I couldn't seem to shake the fact that I go talk to her instead of anyone of the idiots at this school. Although she was a very good listener, I knew she wouldn't ever talk back. But a part of me, hopes that she wouldn't. Because if she did, then she would do all the talking like she did when she was alive. And if Dad knew that I talked to her, then he would have a field day, throwing things out of pain and regret. He’s not a bad guy, he’s just a grieving man.  
It had been a long morning and I was so ready to eat. At my small table, I suddenly felt someone plop down in the seat next to mine. I turned and looked at her. She was wearing long blue jeans despite the warm weather, a dark red sweatshirt with a splatter painted bird on it, and glasses to match. But she wasn’t wearing any shoes, just bare feet. Her face was average, dark brown eyes, small nose, and plump lips with a light red tint to them. Her hair was interesting. It was very short, more like a boy’s hair style. It was dyed an indigo blue color and her bangs were nearly touching her eyes.  
I could see her lips moving, moving quick enough that I could only make out a few vague words that didn’t make sense to me. I just looked at my hands, then jumped up, running out of the cafeteria and out to the track bleachers. It was my favorite spot in hell because you could see the clouds over the trees past the school yard. I sat down on the bottom step and put my hands over my eyes, trying to block everything out even more.  
I wanted to scream, but I hadn’t spoken in years. I didn’t know what my voice sounded like anymore or what it felt like to say a single word. Instead I just let my body shake, wrapping my arms around my shoulders.  
There was a vibration in the bleachers close to me a moment later. I looked up to see Mystery Girl sitting next to me. She was smiling softly, her short bangs shaking in the light breeze. Something in my head told me to run, but this girl seemed to have taken an interest in me. She lifted her hands like they were as light as a feather and began to sign.  
‘I’m sorry if I scared you.’ She signed, with a soft smile. ‘I just wanted to talk to you. I’m Bianca.’  
‘James.’ I signed back confused on how this girl knew ASL.  
‘Bell rang. Lunch is over.’ Bianca signed, looking back to the school building.  
I looked at my watch, and quickly gathered my things and scurried away. But Bianca was behind me, trying to catch up with me and keep talking with me. I walked faster, feeling relieved when I reached my Economics class.  
When I sat down, to my horror, there was a sub teacher in the teacher’s chair. She was older, had snow white hair but a wrinkle free face covered with a pair of pink spectacles. I hated sub teachers because they didn’t know that they had to be facing me when they talked or I wouldn’t get the message. I need to be able to read lips to get the information.  
The lady stood up and wrote her name on the board, Ms. Rattray. What kind of a name was that? It seemed like the name of a Disney sidekick who got rejected by their best friend. Either way, she didn’t look like the type of teacher who would notice a deaf kid’s hearing aids or be sure not to call on that kid because he couldn’t speak. This teacher was going to be that kind.  
Ms. Disney Reject started to speak, telling us that she would be here for the day and all that sub teacher crap. Then she turned her head to the side, away from my view. I craned my neck to try to see her lips, but I couldn’t see. After a few tries, I just gave up and slumped down in my chair. Then I saw movement out of the corner of my eye in the next desk over from mine. It was Bianca. I felt kind of bad because I never noticed her there. It was like she randomly and spontaneously appeared out of thin air. She was scribbling very quickly with her ballpoint pen. She seemed to be trying to hide it from me, covering the notebook with her arm. I decided that she would show me when she was done, because she was taking quick glances up at me about once every 10 seconds.  
It was interesting, having a friend like her. At least I thought we were friends, she seemed to think so too. She had this kind of warm feeling to her, like nobody could touch her. It was like she was invincible. She had so much confidence and she kept her head held high when people would talk about her. It was like she just took their comments and bounced them off. It was amazing.  
I was staring at my watch, seeming to be fascinated by the digital numbers jumping out at me when Bianca tapped my on the forearm. I looked up at her. She was smiling and holding up her notebook. On the lined paper, there was a drawing of me sitting on a fence. I seemed to be gazing at something, not facing forward at all. I was wearing my usual clothes, burgundy vans, tight jeans, random t-shirt and a plaid shirt over it. And I couldn’t forget the look on my face behind my glasses. I looked almost hopeful, full of color, happy. I liked this interpretation of me. Bianca handed me the notebook so I could get a closer look. There was a small note on the corner of the page in messy penmanship. It said, ‘Renegades fight for their cause.’ I smiled at her. She smiled back even brighter.  
Then Ms. Rattray banged her fist on the front desk. I could feel the vibrations through the floor.  
“Miss Lincoln?” She said angrily. “Is this something you’d like to share with the rest of the class?” Bianca shook her head.  
“I was just telling James about how much I love your pink glasses.” Bianca lied very well. Ms. Rattray blushed.  
“Thank you very much, Miss Lincoln and Mr. Sullivan. I look forward to seeing you more often.” I just nodded then looked at Bianca, grinning and holding in my silent giggles.  
The rest of class went on with Bianca writing my notes for me, and me running my fingers over the pen strokes on the drawing. Now I knew that we were friends. Just by the way she could draw me on a whim, it was amazing. After what seemed like an eternity, the bell rang. Ms. Rattray gathered her things and left the room without another word. It was just Bianca and I left in the room. As I gathered my books, Bianca just sat there in her seat. She seemed to be in deep thought about something. I tapped her on the shoulder, her eyes looked straight into mine.  
‘You coming?’ I signed to her.  
She nodded and stood up, picking up her brown leather bag. We walked out of the classroom and I held back the urge to hold onto her arm so I wouldn’t lose her. She was still not wearing any shoes, just her bare feet in the parking lot. Her stride was wider than most girls and she was very high arched. It was like every step had to have her less of her foot on the ground each time. Bianca Lincoln, a girl I had to look into, learn more about.  
‘Wanna come over to my house?’ Bianca signed with a smile.  
‘Is it okay with your family?’ I signed back and without an answer she pulled me to her car and we drove away.  
On the way to her house, I could tell that she was what one would call ‘a free spirit’. She had the windows down and her sweatshirt sleeves rolled up. Turns out, she had a henna tattoo on her wrist. It was a weird design, like a few interlocking triangles with a filled in one in the center. Either way, she was an interesting girl altogether. Her car was cool too. It was a purple pickup truck with lots of bumper stickers all over the back side of it.  
Bianca took a turn down a gravel road which I assumed was her driveway. It curved around tree stumps and patches of dry grass. I started to see a large house that looked like it should be in a horror film. It was made of reddish brown bricks and had brown shudders on the windows. There were 3 other cars parked around the garage. Among them, there was a faded yellow pickup truck, a rusty 15 passenger van, and a black Camaro which seemed out of place.  
We got out of the car and I followed her up to the front door. She had her brown leather bag around her shoulder and had already taken off her glasses. When we stepped in, the inside of the house was nothing like the outside. In the doorway, there was a doormat sitting to the side with about thirty pairs of shoes laying all over it. I looked up and saw a large staircase leading to the bedrooms upstairs. The walls were painted a murky green color and was scattered with paintings that looked like high school art assignments. Down a short hallway, there was a large living room with a brown couch with pillows that looked like egg whites. There were more paintings on the walls near a large television above a fireplace. It was a beautiful house.  
As I was gazing around, I suddenly felt a tap on my shoulder. I spun around and saw Bianca holding a glass of something that looked like Coke.  
‘I hope you drink pop.’ Bianca signed. I nodded and took it from her. ‘My mom only lets us drink it when we have guests.’  
‘Thank you.’ I signed after taking a sip.  
I followed Bianca out to the living room and she flopped down on the couch, patting the seat next to her. I hesitated a bit, but then I went to sit down with her.  
‘Where’s your family?’ I asked, sipping my drink a little more.  
‘My mom is in a meeting for work, brothers and sisters all went to pick up dinner. They should be home soon.’ Bianca switched on the TV and I noticed that the subtitles were already on. We watched Drake and Josh for a while, and I propped my feet up on the table. Then I felt a nudge on my arm, Bianca signed that it was time for dinner. I didn’t even get a chance to ask her if it was okay. But I texted my dad to tell him I wouldn’t be home for dinner and not to wait up. He said that he was glad I was making friends and that he loved me. I texted him a smiley face and put my phone away.  
I walked out of the room into the hallway to meet a horror. There was a strange monster standing in front of me. It had the body of a 15 year old boy, but he looked like death in a bag. His face and neck had patches of blue flakey skin, his eyes were like two black marbles, his ears were full of piercings and his teeth were sharpened to a point. He tried to get me to calm down, but I couldn’t stop shaking. I fell to the hard-wood floor and started to blackout. Bianca’s worried face was the last thing I saw.  
2  
I woke up to my head pounding, blinking my eyes groggily. When my eyes came into focus, I was lying on a couch. It took me a minute to remember what had happened today. Then I was taken by surprise when I felt a pair of cold hands on my shoulder. I looked over and saw Bianca looking worriedly at me.  
‘How are you feeling?’ She signed with slow hands.  
‘Like I took a baseball to the forehead, got struck by lightning and got in a car accident all in the same day. But I’m doing okay. What was that… ?’ I stopped signing at the memory. That boy, what was wrong with him? He looked like he was peeling blue sunburn with flakes of blue dust coming off him.  
I looked up and saw a woman, she had long dark hair and brown eyes like Bianca’s. And behind her was a line of family staring at me. They all looked similar, even the boy with blue flakey skin was there, almost hiding behind the next member of the family. I looked at Bianca. She started to sign.  
‘James, this is my family, the Lincolns.’ She signed with an uneasy look on her face. I had about a billion questions but it was like my hands were glued together.  
The woman in the front of the line stepped towards me, a kindness in her eyes.  
‘James, I’m Ariel Lincoln, Bianca’s mother.’ She signed, her eyes not leaving mine. ‘Bianca has told us a lot about you. And I hope you’ll let me explain what you have seen this afternoon later. We have a homemade pizza waiting for us in the dining room. I promise to tell you everything after dinner.’  
I nodded and everyone in the family seemed to stampede into the dining room, tripping over each other. I followed them shyly through the doorway and stopped dead in my tracks. The table had 12 seats around it. Each person had a chair and I felt sort of out of place. Bianca saw me standing in the doorway and pulled me in and shoved me in a seat across from her.  
Bianca signed everyone’s name and relation. Turns out, she had 2 younger sisters, Ella and Lilly, 3 younger brothers, Timothy, Jonathan, and Quinlen, 2 older brothers named Lennon and Robin. Lilly was 4 and Ella was 6. Timothy was 8, Jonathan was 10 and Quinlen was 15 and still blue. Lennon was 17, and Robin was 22 and owned his own pizzeria. The other seats at the table were for Bianca’s uncle and aunt that came for dinner on the weekends. I noticed there wasn’t anyone sitting at the head of the table. It was just an empty chair. I decided not to ask and just waited for the pizza to come to me.  
I took a bite, and it was perfection. The dough was a crisp golden brown, the cheese tasted like it came from heavenly cows and the sauce was like it was made from perfect tomatoes. The pepperoni was crispy and sharp, sitting on the cheese like pretty little boats on a lake. This was the greatest pizza I had ever tasted. I ate about 4 slices and then we all moved out into the other room for a movie.  
I sat next to Bianca on the couch, trying to figure out what was going on in the movie. The actors’ words all seemed to run together, all of them talking at once. It was infuriating. I noticed the younger Lincoln, Ella, staring at me down with a large pair of dark brown eyes. She crossed the room and plopped down on my lap. It surprised me how serious she looked for a 6-year-old.  
‘Mama said you were like me.’ Ella signed, then she added the common sign for deaf.  
‘That’s right.’ I signed, smiling. Ella’s face seemed to change from serious to CIA Interrogator.  
‘What’s your favorite story?’ She asked, as if I were a criminal and she was asking me if I just killed a man. ‘Fairy tale?’  
I decided to humor her. ‘That’s an easy one. The Tale of Jiraya the Gallant.’ I signed. Ella’s face seemed to light up.  
‘What happens in that story?’ She asked, completely intrigued.  
‘My mother used to tell it to me before I went to sleep. It starts out with a young man named Jiraya. He is unsure of what he is supposed to do in his life. He begins studying swordsmanship and meditation to find his strength. He spends 7 years training and gets the name Master Jiraya. One day while walking down a country road, a spirit appears in front of him. It was a man with the face of a toad. It told him that its master had a prophecy for the young Master Jiraya. Master Jiraya then followed the toad spirit to its mountain temple and received his prophecy. His prophecy was foretold that he would one day take on a student. This student would be a great savior of this world. Master Jiraya didn’t know what the toad sage meant, but he still continued on with his life, waiting for his student to come around looking for a master.’  
‘About 3 years later, Master Jiraya was out in a vast field training, when 3 small children came to him. They were covered in dirt and filth; they were orphans from the town nearby. Among them, there was a small girl named Myria, she looked like an angel, a small spastic boy with bright red hair named Leo, and one more. The last boy didn’t say much, he hid behind Myria, clutching her sleeve tightly. He was very skinny, had light brown hair and peculiar eyes. His eyes were dark purple with a sort of ripple pattern on his iris.’  
I looked up to see that the television had been turned off and the entire family was watching me. I could feel my cheeks getting warm. I glanced down at Ella, she was staring at me with a gleam in her eyes.  
‘What happens next, James?’ She asked with desperate hands.  
‘I can’t tell you. Not right now.’ I signed and Ella’s face dropped. ‘My mother didn’t tell me the ending until I was older. So I won’t tell you until later.’  
Ella pouted and I looked at Ariel, who was giving me an odd look.  
“Why is that one your favorite, James?” She asked, speaking slow enough for me to read her lips.  
‘Part of it is because my mother used to tell me that story before I went to sleep. But the other part is because of the meeting between the toad sage and Master Jiraya. Master Jiraya followed the spirit willingly and heard what it had to say. Master Jiraya let the toad sage speak even though he looked like a monster. If it had been me, I would have passed out like a little wuss.’  
Ariel nodded with a kind smile on her face. “So if a monster came to you, what would you do?” She asked as if to prove my point.  
‘I would be scared at first.’ I signed honestly. ‘But I would want to help it if it were injured, or help it find its way if it were lost, or listen when nobody else would. Either way, I would take interest in what said monster had to say.’  
I looked around the room. The whole family was staring at me with honest eyes. I glanced at Bianca; she shifted so Quinlen was in my line of vision. He still had the patches of blue flaky skin on his neck and around his right eye. Bianca raised her hands and began to sign.  
‘Our family is different, James. We aren’t like other ones that are all athletic or artistic or normal.’ She paused to gather her thoughts. ‘We’re cursed, James. Our whole family has been cursed for as long as my mother has been alive.’  
I stared at her hands as if they were lying to me. It was like being told they were all ghosts and nobody knew they existed. I glanced around the room and did a double take. Ariel had similar flaky skin on her wrists and hands. Hers was a green color. The other Lincolns had strange skin ‘rashes’ made of different things. I rubbed my eyes then took a closer look at each of them. The strange skin was spreading, covering the skin that wasn’t clothed. I looked back at Bianca and jumped at the sight of her. Her arms and shoulders covered in grey, metallic-looking skin. It reminded me of armor, but it was much tighter on her skin, like a sleeve of rock hard steel on her arms. This weird skin spread up on her neck, then crowding around her face. Her eyes were no longer the dark brown, a vibrant red shined through the dark shell around them.  
I reached out, my fingers inches away from her cheek. I pulled back a bit. Bianca nodded to show it was okay to touch this. The instant my fingers touched the strange substance on her face, I was amazed. This exoskeleton was exactly like armor. It was smooth but strong. It was beautiful. She was beautiful.  
I put my hand back down and looked at the rest of the people in the room. I noticed that the other people didn’t have armor like Bianca. They all just had patches of the strange skin of different colors and textures. And their eyes. Oh my God, their eyes. All the eyes in the room were blood red marbles in their respective skulls.  
For some reason, I wasn’t scared. It was like a feeling of curiosity was taking me over. The Lincolns were beautiful.  
Ariel, with her green hands, began to sign. ‘You said before that if you met a monster, you would try to take care of it.’ I nodded at her. ‘Well, here are your monsters. What do you think about us?’  
‘I think you are all beautiful. I don’t think you guys are scary.’ I signed with a smile on my face. They all nodded at me with returning smiles. I looked over at Bianca, the armory skin had receded off her face and neck but remained on her arms and shoulders. ‘Curse or no curse, I am still grateful to you. You noticed me when nobody else did. You saw me when I was invisible.’  
I gave her a soft hug and she pulled me into a big bear squeeze on the couch. Her arms were cool on my skin, but a sort of warmth came off her. It was like the armor gave her power, like it was protecting her. I let go of her and saw that her eyes had turned back to normal; the perfect brown that I knew was familiar. She was smiling at me. It was a type of smile that I hadn’t seen in 3 years. The same smile I saw on my mother’s face when she’d drink her coffee. When she’d hold me in her arms after a nightmare, I could smell spice peach tea flavoring coming from her lips. In this one smile on Bianca’s face, I felt a rush of memories flooding back to the front of my mind. I buried my face in my hands, hiding the stream of silent tears staining my cheeks.  
I felt Bianca and her family moving in to hug me, like one giant pile of cursed and lost souls. It was warm and cozy. Then I knew, I wasn’t scared anymore. I knew I could count on this group of amazing people to be there for me. Knowing this just made me cry even more. The family wouldn’t let me run away or even move, like they were rooted to me.  
The rest of the evening played out pretty easily. Bianca, Quinlen and I all went out on the roof of the garage and watched a meteor shower. The other small kids went to bed when it got dark and my phone buzzed around eleven. It was my dad; he asked me if I needed a ride home. I told him that Bianca would drive me in 10 minutes and to not wait up for me.  
Once we were downstairs, I said goodbye to the Lincolns and went out to Bianca’s truck. She started the car but didn’t drive. She just stared at me.  
‘What’re you staring at?’ I signed with nervous hands.  
‘What made you cry today, James?’ She asked slowly with a concerned look on her face. I tried to avoid her gaze. I didn’t want to tell her that her smile did it to me.  
‘Your smile…’ I signed with my hands shaking. ‘It made me think of my mother. Before the accident, she would smell like spice peach tea and fresh baked bread. Before, she would smile real big all the time. It was one of the things that I never want to forget. And I guess your smile just triggered something in me.’  
Bianca looked at me with a tear in her eye. But she didn’t move, didn’t sign, and didn’t speak. She just stared at me. After what seemed like an eternity, she started to pull out of the long driveway. I just gazed out the window, watching Stonehenge, Indiana flash past my eyes in the darkness. It wasn’t until we pulled in my driveway that I realized that I had fallen asleep. I looked over at Bianca, she was wearing a worried expression on her pale face.  
‘Sorry.’ I signed and she shook her head.  
‘It’s fine. Mom won’t be worried about me. She would be happier if she knew that you got home safely.’ She smiled and we hopped out of her truck and went up to my doorstep.  
‘Thank you.’ I signed. ‘This was one of the best days I’ve had since the accident.’  
Bianca wrapped her arms around me and once again I felt the warmth coming from her. She was an amazing person and I hoped that this thing we had lasted. She pulled away and I told her goodnight and I went inside.  
Before I went to bed, I peeked in on my father. He was sleeping soundly but something was different. He was sleeping on my mother’s vacant side of the bed. I took a closer look to find that there were dried tears on his face, and he was clutching one of her old jackets that was still hanging in their closet. My father still kept her toothbrush in the holder beside their sink, still kept all her jewelry in her velvet box beside their bed, still kept her hair brush in the cabinet by the toilet. The jacket he was holding was her favorite one. She would only take it off to shower. I was sure that he picked it because it still smelled like her perfume, still smelled like her. I went into my room and shut the door gently. I let a few tears fall, making sure they were silent. I thought about her, wondering what would have happened if I had sat in the backseat. Maybe I wouldn’t have smashed my head through the window. Maybe I wouldn’t have had to watch my mother bleed out right next to me. Maybe I wouldn’t have passed out from the adrenaline. Maybe we both would have made it out alive. By that thought I was sobbing under my blankets, the bed rocking with my tensed muscles. I couldn’t stop crying.  
Suddenly, a strong pair of hands touched me. In mid-sob, I peered out of my burrow and saw my father. He was wearing his pajamas and was holding something in his hands. I wiped my face and saw Mom’s jacket. He was holding it out to me. I quickly took it and pushed it to my face, breathing her in. Then I wasn’t scared anymore.  
I looked up at my dad; he had on a sad smile.  
‘Thanks Dad.’ I signed with one hand.  
‘You need her more than I do, kiddo. Trust me.’ He signed back and I nodded. He gave me one last pat on the back and went back to bed. I curled up in my bed with her under my chin, letting her scent send me to sleep.  
3  
The next day I decided to eat my lunch at my spot, the track bleachers. The sky was blue and full of feathery clouds scattered across it. A few minutes into my lunch, I looked up to see Bianca and Quinlen sitting on the bench in front of mine. They were both staring at me, a gleam of hope that one should only find in a child. I smiled for them, which brought a similar response from them both.  
‘I saw your painting in the display this morning.’ I signed to Bianca. ‘It’s really cool.’  
‘If only she’d stop talking about it.’ Quinlen said while signing, then receiving a punch in the arm from his sister. ‘It’s only a painting of an ear with an earring in it. I don’t get what the big deal is.’  
‘It’s not just an ear with an earring in it. It’s a symbol for sound, noise, and music.’ Bianca paused to look at me. ‘I made it for Ella.’  
I simply nodded and took another bite of my sandwich. We just ate for the next few minutes, not talking. I watched Quinlen and Bianca steal glances at each other. They looked like something was on their mind.  
Once I finished my food, I finally got their full attention.  
‘Somebody please tell me why you guys are acting so weird.’ I signed with quick hands. Bianca and Quinlen looked at each other, trying not to look weird.  
‘We were wondering why you got so scared of Quinlen last night.’ Bianca told me with a concerned look. ‘He’s certainly not the scariest of us.’ Quinlen glared at her for only a moment then returned his eyes to me.  
‘I guess he was the strangest thing I’d seen in a while.’ I signed honestly. ‘I hadn’t seen anything like that since the accident.’  
Bianca glanced at each other, then back to me. After what seemed like an eternity, Quinlen finally started to talk.  
‘What happened?’ He asked. ‘You never talk about it. Is it what caused you to lose your hearing?’  
I stared at my clammy hands for a moment before answering. I wanted to tell them what had happened last night before anything else, but I decided against it.  
‘I was 14 years old. My mom and I were driving through the snow. There had been a freak snow storm the night before and we wanted to go and get some milk to make snow ice cream. I was sitting in the front seat while she was driving down the road. We had the radio on and we started belting out Beatles songs. But when I wasn’t paying attention, she swerved off the road around a turn. My head crashed through the passenger window and had me bleeding. My mother was launched out of the car and she hit her head on a big rock. She was pronounced dead on the scene. When my wounds were taken care of, I realized I wasn’t really hearing what the doctor was saying. Then the next morning, I couldn’t hear a thing.’ I stopped myself to take a choking breath, trying not to cry. I buried my face in my hands, hiding my tears. Then a felt two pairs of strong arms wrap around me, filling me with comforting warmth. There was a touch of cool lips to my neck. Bianca had planted a light kiss on me. I decided not to say anything for it, just enjoy the embrace.  
4  
Somehow I ended up not staying at school the rest of the day. I don’t really know how it happened, but I guess I just did it. Bianca and Quinlen drove me around Stonehenge until it was about six o’clock. Then we pulled into a parking garage and the two siblings hopped out of Bianca’s purple truck. I followed and we ended up outside in a matter of minutes. I looked up and saw the glow of the neon sign for Rangle’s. Rangle’s was the big club downtown. It was lucky enough that I had my fake ID on me. I got it so I could vote; don’t judge me. I do what I want.  
I looked at Bianca and Quinlen confused. ‘Why’re we at a club?’ I signed  
‘To relieve stress.’ Quinlen said, his arms stretching out. ‘Besides, you my friend, need some fun.’ I nodded and we went in. The security guard let us past with no problems.  
When I looked around, there were lights and wild people dancing, not caring who saw. A layer of fog gathered around my feet, almost pulling me in. I could feel the vibrations of the beats from the music, echoing through the back of my head. But then I noticed that this wasn’t a normal club. I turned towards Bianca.  
‘Dude, everyone in here’s a dude!’ I signed with quick hands. Bianca just laughed at me. Then I saw that Quinlen wasn’t standing next to her anymore.  
‘Let’s have a drink!’ Bianca told me, pulling me towards the bar. We sat down at the end of the bar and I was starting to get nervous. I had never been to a club before, let alone a gay club. Bianca ordered us two Cokes. A minute later, the bartender brought them to us, smiling.  
“That one’s paid for.” He said, lips moving steady enough for me to read. He pointed to a guy lifting his bottle of beer to me. This guy wasn’t wearing a shirt, just a leather cross around his neck. I just nodded at him, smiling the best I could.  
Bianca was in the seat next to me, laughing hysterically. I swatted her in the arm, trying not to blush.  
“Hey!” She said, lifting her hands up. “I’m not the one who got hit on!”  
I sighed out, wondering why we were even at a gay club in the first place. Then I thought of Quinlen, who still wasn’t around. Was he the reason we were here? Was he gay? I couldn’t find him with my wandering eyes around the club.  
Bianca tapped me on the shoulder, waking me from my thoughts. Then I noticed that the loud beat from the music had slowed down. I looked at her, she was smiling.  
‘Do you wanna dance with me?’ She signed, not looking away.  
I hesitated. I had never really danced before, especially since I couldn’t hear the music. Bianca was asking the deaf kid to dance with her. I thought I was dreaming.  
She must have noticed me uneasiness, because she was already pulling me onto the dance floor. I guess she wasn’t going to give me a choice, and I was okay with it. We got the center. This was it. Don’t screw up. I prayed that she was okay with me being a bit sweaty.  
Bianca stepped close to me, wrapping her hands around my shoulders. I lightly placed my hands on her hips. I was lucky she didn’t look in my eyes and just rested her head on my chest. I started to shuffle my feet nervously and I could feel Bianca giggle against me. At that point, she put her bare feet on top of my feet, just letting me carry her. For some reason, I didn’t stop her. And she didn’t push me away when I wrapped my hands around her back, holding her close. Instead she just moved her hands around to my back, clinging onto me so she wouldn’t fall.  
It didn’t matter that we were dancing in a gay club, surrounded by sweaty people. This was still a perfect night. Sadly, the dance ended with Quinlen returning, carrying the car keys in his hand. We wandered back to the car in silence around nine thirty. Bianca drove me home and walked me up to my porch once again. This time, it was like magic. I took her hand in mine; it was warm compared to my cold ones. She wrapped her hands around me in a warm hug, which I willingly returned. Right now, it didn’t matter that my dad is probably going crazy inside over the fact that his deaf seventeen year old son had been out of school for half the day doing who knows what. I didn’t want her to leave.  
Bianca leaned back to look at me, her arms still wrapped around my torso. She was standing on my shoes again, her little feet trying to step higher. I realized that her face was getting closer to mine. Five inches, four inches, then in breathing space; God, I picked a good day to chew minty gum. Our lips were a second away from a kiss, when my dad flipped the porch light on and swung the door open. Bianca pulled away and ran out to her car where Quinlen was dying laughing. I didn’t need my ears to know that. And she drove away, a smile on her face.  
5  
I managed to convince my dad that Bianca and Quinlen took me out to dinner and a movie after school. He said he would believe it for now, and I agreed.  
The next day at school, Bianca and I were in Economics and I definitely felt better than I did before. Ms. Rattray wasn’t there anymore. Mr. Powell, my favorite teacher. He was tall and had bright green hair. Whenever anyone asked about his hair, he would respond with his favorite quotation, “Getting older is mandatory. Growing up is optional.” But the main reason I liked him is because he knew ASL. Whenever he would speak, he would sign along with his words. He made Economics fun. And I knew that was like Mission Impossible. And for some reason, he never seemed like he was 49 years old. He just acted so young all the time. And his kids are pretty young. He has a son in eighth grade and a pair of twin daughters in sixth grade. Mr. Powell was always making obscure pop culture references in class, which Bianca enjoyed.  
After class, Mr. Powell would always rub the statue of The Laughing Buddha that sat on the corner of his desk. He always said that it gave him luck even though he didn’t need it. He wasn’t even religious, but he still was intently rubbing it after every class.  
One day I stayed after class and stood at the edge of his desk. He was typing away on his laptop, eyebrows knitted together. He glanced up at me, then scrambling to close his computer and pay attention. I smiled slightly at his goofiness.  
‘What’s up?’ Mr. Powell signed with a serious look on his face.  
‘What’re you writing? I see you typing away on that thing when we are just working on something random.’ I mirrored his serious face. ‘And the way you put it away so nervously. It gave me a notion that it’s something important.’  
I watched Mr. Powell’s face as he drew a big sigh. It made me laugh on the inside.  
‘I’m writing a novella.’ He signed. ‘It’s about two men, both columnists for a newspaper and complete polar opposites get paired together to write the last column in their local newspaper before it moves to digital. Every other chapter alternates their point of view.’  
I nodded at every piece of description of the plot of this story. It sounded very interesting.  
‘I like it. It smells like a bestseller. Be sure to let me proof read it for you. You’re not an English major for a reason.’ I signed to him. It earned me a grin from Mr. Powell.  
‘How could I forget? James Sullivan, Mister Grammar-Nazi.’ Mr. Powell said and signed. ‘You better get out before you miss your ride home. See you tomorrow, James.’ I nodded and walked towards the door. I took one last look at him, waved and left.  
He was right. Bianca and Quinlen were waiting for me to head back to the Lincolns. I rushed to my locker and got my things and made a beeline for the door when I was tripped by one of my old friends from before the accident. My books and backpack went all over the floor. When I looked up from the ground, I saw that Ronni was with them. The other guys and girls were laughing at me. I didn’t need my hearing to know that they were mocking me. I looked down, feeling utterly hopeless. Some of the bigger guys started to kick me, hard and long. Through their feet, I could see Ronni looking at me with a blank and vacant in his eyes. I hated getting that look. It was the look that said, “Why doesn’t someone just kill him?” I started to cry when a dirty sneaker bottom hit my eye. I wanted to scream. I wanted Bianca. I wanted Quinlen. I wanted them to come and save me. But I knew they were all the way out in Bianca’s truck, waiting for the deaf kid that would never be strong enough for them.  
I just closed my eyes, letting them kick me. I knew that I couldn’t fight back and I knew nobody was coming. Then suddenly, they stopped and ran off. I couldn’t see what was going on though. I was too deep in my own sorrows to open my swollen eyes. Then I felt a pair of skinny arms wrap around me. I just cried into the person’s arms, regardless of who it was. They felt nice to me.  
After a few minutes, I finally looked at my rescuer’s face. All that I could see was little Ella Lincoln staring back at me. She’d saved me? I didn’t understand. She smiled softly and helped me stand. She was remarkably strong for a 6 year old, but I didn’t question it.  
‘How did you find me?’ I signed instead.  
‘Bee isn’t the only one with stronger powers. I may not have a super cool exoskeleton or sharp claws or teeth, but I have something else. I can sense when someone around me is in distress. It starts with a metallic taste in my mouth then turns to echoes in my head. They told me that you needed me.’ She explained. I was surprised that she was this smart at only six. But then again, she can sense distress. I think I need to rethink my place in the universe.  
‘Let’s get out of here. Bee and Quinee are waiting.’ Ella signed and I nodded to her. She was pretty smart. We gathered my things and we headed out to the parking lot to find two nervous teenagers with insane ‘powers’ that I have yet to understand. Bianca and Quinlen pulled me into a hug. I could see that Bianca’s eyes were starting to turn red like they had before and I tapped her on the shoulder.  
‘Your eyes…’ I signed when she looked at me. I reached into my pocket and gave her a pair of sunglasses.  
‘No… You need them more.’ Bianca signed back and put them over my swollen eyes.  
I looked over at Quinlen. He looked like he was about to explode. His fists were clenched tightly and his eyes were the vibrant red color that I had seen on Bianca and the rest of the Lincolns before. And the blue flakey skin was starting to appear up and down his arms in various patches. It was spreading like a disease.  
‘What’s happening?’ I signed to Bianca and Ella. They didn’t answer. They were too busy trying to get Quinlen into the backseat of the truck. I followed and squeezed in on one side of Ella and we drove towards the Lincoln’s house. I tried to stay calm, but I couldn’t stop shaking in my seat. I couldn’t tell if it was from the intense pain I was feeling or from my friends losing control. I couldn’t look back at Quinlen. All I needed were the vibes coming from the backseat. Instead, I looked over at Ella and Bianca. They were tense in their seats. It looked like they were ticking time bombs. It hurt me to see them this worked up. Even Bianca had some of her metallic-looking skin covering her hands.  
We pulled up to the Lincoln’s house and I got out quickly. I watched the siblings pull each other up to the house. Then the front door flew open and Ariel was running out to help them. I wanted to help them somehow, but the adrenaline was going away and the pain was kicking in. My head was pounding hard. I put my hand on the edge of the truck to hold myself up. I wished that I could see what was going on near the front porch with the Lincolns. But I was starting to black out. Before I went though, I felt two arms wrap around me and hold me close. It was that feeling again. The warmth coming from this person. I recognized it as Bianca. Then in all my shivering, I fell asleep in her arms.  
6  
It smelled like fresh baked bread. That’s the first thing I knew. It reminded me of my mother making breakfast before I went to school. Was she here? Right now? I couldn’t know for sure. Not unless I opened my eyes. So I took a chance.  
I opened my eyes to see the Lincoln’s den full of sleeping kids of all ages. Were they all here for me? I looked around. Lilly, Jonathan and Timothy were all curled up on the recliner. Robin and Lennon were stretched out on the floor, occasionally scratching their ears despite being sound asleep. I looked next to me and to my surprise, Ella was curled up into my side, her little nose wrinkled like she was having a dream.  
The only ones absent were Bianca and Quinlen. I was almost pained by their not being right next to me. Then I started to remember what happened. Leaving Mr. Powell’s classroom, getting beat down by my so-called ‘friends’ from before the accident, Quinlen’s breakdown right in front of me. The memory of Quinlen standing there, looking utterly hopeless and confused and angry, it really got to me. Was it because of me? Was me getting hurt that bad?  
Small movement near me shook me from my thoughts. I looked down to see Ella staring up at me, sleep still in her eyes. She sat up and leaned against the arm of the couch, lifting her hands to sign.  
‘Please don’t think those horrible things.’ Ella signed with sadness in her face. ‘I can sense your sadness. Please don’t be sad. It’ll make me sad too.’  
I nodded, looking at her.  
‘Where are they?’ I signed simply. She shook her head, closing her eyes.  
‘They’re in the kitchen. And that boy is here to see you… The one that hurt you.’ She looked at me with a pleading look when she opened her eyes. ‘Tell him he’s a bad boy. Friends shouldn’t hurt each other. An old friend is still a friend, right?’  
I was shocked by her words. But I didn’t think I could talk to Ronni like that. Not when I was full of bruises and swollen eyes. But I knew that I couldn’t let Ella think these things. So took one last look at her then I got up and moved to the kitchen. I had a small limp in my stride but I didn’t let the pain onto my face. I had to be strong for Ella.  
In the kitchen, Bianca and Quinlen were sitting on opposite countertops from each other, staring at the floor, Ariel was leaning against the stove with a wash rag in her hands, and Ronni was sitting on a stool near the back door.  
They all had pained looks in their eyes. But it wasn’t the same pain as Ella. It was more like it was the most awkward and painful situation any of them had been in. It almost made me feel bad to walk into this room full of dreary-eyed people but then I remembered that I was the reason that they were like that. Bianca was the first to notice me. She instantly rushed to me and hugged me tightly. Then Ariel and Quinlen followed her and wrapped me up in a big sandwich hug. It felt nice.  
When they finally pulled away, I looked across the kitchen to Ronni, who was staring at me with sorrowful eyes. I couldn’t figure out why he was here, giving me this look like he had killed a man. To my surprise, he raised his hands slowly and nervously.  
‘James please talk to me… I’m really sorry that the guys did this to you.’ I watched his lazy signing with pity. Ronni’s hands were too big to be signing with. His hands were sloppy and he signed in such horrible grammar that it offended me just looking at him. ‘I really miss you, Jimmy. I want to fix this.’  
As soon as I read that sign, it took me over the edge. I shook my head, glaring at him. I raised my hands and began to sign angrily.  
‘You will never fix this! Your friends did this to me and you just stood there and watched. You did nothing! You just let it happen! After the accident, you just left me behind and took everyone with you! You left me alone!’ I was fuming by the time I was finished. I looked around and saw that Quinlen was talking for my signs so Ronni could understand me. That just made me angrier. I looked over at Ronni, who was blushing a deep red. He almost looked guilty to me. Finally, I looked at Bianca. She had tears welling up in her eyes as she raised her hands.  
“Jimmy please…’ She signed while speaking. ‘Try and understand where he’s coming from.’  
I shook my head some more. Then it happened, the rumble moving up from my chest and through my throat and coming out…. “No…” The word came out of my mouth and it shocked every person in the room. “No!” I said it again, louder this time. Bianca, Ariel, Quinlen and Ronni all stared at me like I was the bloody Ghost of Christmas Past. That moment I knew that I had to get out of there.  
I took off from the kitchen, walking very fast. I didn’t know where I was going but I just had to get going. I found myself in a bedroom upstairs in the Lincoln’s house. After I had calmed myself down a little, I took a look around the room I was currently fuming in.  
It was painted a dark red color with lots of dark grey accents. The walls were covered with beautiful paintings of things I recognized. One was Bianca’s purple truck sitting in a clearing of the Stonehenge Preserve, the woodland area of Stonehenge where the cross country team and other runners ran the trails. Another was a splatter painted bird, similar to the one of Bianca’s sweatshirt the day we first met. The other painting was of an ear with earrings and an ear bud in it. The bed was twin sized with dresser drawers underneath it and sheets that were printed with red and grey butterflies. There were pillows and spare clothing scattered around the carpet.  
Something else caught my eye on the dresser. There was a small glass jar with a piece of tin foil and rubber band on top. Inside, there was about 7 fireflies floating around and blinking a low green-yellow color. The sight made me smile a little, knowing they were there made me feel better. I stepped over to the dresser and picked up the jar. The little bugs flashed their lights for me and I knew I didn’t have to worry anymore.  
A flashing light in my eyes broke me from my thoughts. I looked over at the door and saw Bianca leaning against the doorframe. She was using the reflection of her cell phone and the light from the window to blind me. It hurt my eyes but it was better than her sneaking up on me. I would have jumped out of my skin if she did that. She stepped closer, her bare feet padding across the carpet like a kitten on a fresh tile floor. She brushed her bangs out of her eyes with her fingers and smiled simply.  
“I’m s-sorry…” I croaked, my voice still felt weird in my throat. “I just couldn’t stay in there.”  
Bianca shook her head, beginning to sign.  
‘It’s not your fault, James. That guy’s an asshole.’ She signed while speaking. ‘He’s not a real friend.’ Her face got serious. ‘Quinlen got all worked up because you were gone. He saw your face and just fell apart.’  
I stared at her in shock. Because of me? I thought to myself.  
‘Quinlen hasn’t completely figured out how to control the curse yet.’  
‘Tell me about the curse… please.’ I signed.  
Bianca nodded and gestured me to sit on the bed with her. I followed her and the bed sunk a bit as I sat down.  
‘When my mother first met my dad, they were in college. They were in love at first sight. Anyone who saw them was instantly smiling. My dad joined the Army and went overseas for a while. Mom missed him very much and Dad sent her letters but they always fell through. Then one day, Mom got the call that Dad had disappeared from the base. She was devastated and went crazy. She started to experiment with the supernatural. She tried to call out to him with crazy ancient rituals. Then one day, she found an old letter from Dad telling her that he was a demon. He told her that by being with her made his other side act up and that’s why he joined the army. He didn’t want to hurt her. But what he didn’t know was that by loving her, she got some of his demonic aura from him. Then he came back to her, very near death and sick. He told her he would die without a life force. So Mom did this. She took Dad’s spirit within her own person. The green scaly skin on her fingers, that’s what Dad’s skin looked like when he would use his powers. When she wanted children, Dad was still able to help her and then Robin was born. They kept going like he had never left. That’s why we’re cursed. It’s because of my dad’s demonic origin. All the powers we have were inherited from him.’  
I sat there in shock. They were cursed by demons. My friends were cursed by demons.  
I finally looked at her again. “Will you show me again?” I asked nervously.  
Bianca blinked her eyes slowly and her eyes were that vibrant red again. When she lifted her hands from her lap, they were covered in the metallic armor. The strange skin spread up to her face and covered it in thickening patches. Once again, I reached my hands up to touch her face. It was still beautiful. She was still beautiful.  
She took my hands in hers, looking into my eyes.  
“These hands… they let me get to know you. The real you.” Bianca said slowly enough that I could read her lips.  
“Is the… the real me okay?” I asked, feeling my voice in my throat.  
Bianca made herself look normal again. She nodded, that smile of hers shining. Then her face turned serious  
‘I don’t want to see Ronni hurt you anymore.’ She signed. ‘Ella told me that he wasn’t in distress when he watched you. She said he felt satisfaction watching you get pummeled. Quinlen wants to tear him to shreds. And I want the same thing.’  
I glanced at the door. I knew I’d have to talk to him sometime.  
‘I want to talk to him. Set him straight.’ I signed, getting up from the bed and heading for the door. Bianca followed behind me. 

7  
The kitchen seemed to have been frozen in time while Bianca and I were in her room. They were all in their same spots and staring at the floor. Once she saw me, Ariel pulled me into a loving hug. Over her shoulder, I could see Ronni staring at me like a lost puppy. I closed my eyes. I just couldn’t look at him. He’s ruined us. Ruined everything.  
Ariel let me go, letting me stand up for myself. I faced Ronni and raised my hands to sign. I glanced at Bianca so she’d translate for me.  
‘You will never fix this. I can’t be around you after what you’ve done.’ I paused for a deep breath. ‘You just watched me there. I was hurt and you didn’t help me. And now you’re here but it won’t change my mind about this. You should just go.’  
I opened my mouth to say the word.  
“Leave.” I said, staring him straight in the face.  
Ronni slowly walked out of the kitchen, glancing back at me only once then leaving the house. My blood was rushing through me at top speed. My chest was squeezing me out, trying to get me to cave. At that moment, I felt light headed. My eyes rolled back and a fell to the floor. Once again, the last thing I saw was Bianca’s worried face.  
8  
There was a blurry green material in front of my eyes. My whole body ached as I tried to move. But something stopped me. The something felt like hands. I scrambled up, flailing a bit, and trying to regain my head.  
Once my vision cleared, I saw Quinlen sitting on the floor and staring at me like he’d just kicked my puppy or something. His skin was clear, none of that blue skin on his body. His eyes were normal at last.  
“P-Please…” I croaked. “Please don’t look at me like that…”  
As if on cue, Quinlen looked down at his lap. I instantly felt guilty. I hated making Quinlen like this. After a few seconds, he looked back up at me. Then to my surprise, he reached his hand out for me to shake. I shook it, still confused. When we let go, he started to sign.  
“My name is Quinlen Lincoln. I love red velvet cupcakes, the color purple and clubs. I have too many siblings to name them all to you and I have a secret addiction to Dr. Pepper. I like meeting new friends and possible boyfriends if I’m lucky.”  
I stared at him for a moment. He didn’t mention a single negative thing about himself. It was just random things but it still had meaning. This was so new to me. I didn’t know how to respond. Then I realized that Quinlen was looking at me. Studying me. Like I was supposed to respond with a matching statement.  
I took a deep breath and began.  
“I’m James P. Sullivan. I love fried pickles and lemonade. I like to make lists and eat at old diners…” I paused for a moment. “I’m in love with Bianca Lincoln and I have no idea how to go about dealing with it.”  
Neither of us said anything else. Quinlen sat across from me on the floor with his legs crossed. He sat with his eyes closed and said nothing. After about 20 minutes of genuine silence, I got up and went into the kitchen.  
Ariel was leaning against the countertop sipping tea. I could smell it from across the room. The spiced peach flavor reached my nose and I just had to let my eyes flutter closed at the sweet smell.  
“Did Quinlen try and have a do-over with you too?” The woman asked, a soft smile on her face.  
“Do-Over?” I mimicked her sign.  
Ariel laughed, putting her tea on the counter.  
“Whenever he feels he has messed up a relationship or friendship in your case, he tries to start over completely. Of course it hasn’t worked yet I’m afraid. But none of us have the heart to tell him otherwise.”  
I smiled, looking behind me at the back of his head, still sitting in the same position I had left him in.  
“He also likes to reflect on his actions too. There was a time he brought a boy home to study with him in his room. I believe his name was Jackson. Anyway, Quinlen got his first kiss from a straight boy. The next day, there were posters all over the school of him. The secret was out that he was gay. That night, Quinlen sat in that reflection for 11 hours straight. He didn’t speak or eat for 4 days. He didn’t go to school because he knew Jackson would be mocking him. Whenever any of us tried to get him out of reflection, he would just scream like a banshee. Every day that Quinlen wasn’t in school, Bianca would go in and take down each and every poster and flier and picture off the walls.” Ariel smiled at her own memory. “She’d come home each day with a smile and say she had some crap to burn.”  
I hated the idea of Quinlen going through that. How horrible it must have felt to go through crap like that in high school. Then it hit me. He blames himself. Quinlen blames himself for everything. The bruising, the panic, Ronni and his goons, everything.  
Before I knew it, I was in the living room wrapping my arms around Quinlen. My heart was pounding so hard that I was literally vibrating the both of us. Quinlen remained very still. Never even flinching.  
We stayed there for about 5 minutes, when Quinlen’s arms slowly reached up to return the embrace and wrap around my waist. I could feel his hands shaking as he fisted his fingers in my shirt.  
I leaned back to face him. He looked almost like a child, eyes wide.  
I took a deep breath and slowly started to speak.  
“None of this is your fault. I need to you to know that none of this is your fault. If it is anyone’s fault it’s mine. I could never blame you for any of this. In fact, I could never blame anyone more than myself right now. I hate seeing you worked up like that.” I knew my voice was croaky and gross but I had to make sure Quinlen knew. I had to make him forgive himself.  
Quinlen slowly blinked his eyes. After a few moments of silence, he spoke.  
“You hurt my sister, I rip your throat out. Go it?” He said with a smile.  
I nodded, laughing a bit.

 

9  
Bianca and I sat out on the roof a week later, shining a flashlight up into the trees and night sky. She was resting her head in the center of my chest as she ran her skinny fingers over the beam of light. It was nice and warm with her around.  
“Bianca…” I said, feeling her shift to look at me.  
Her bright eyes stared into mine.  
“What’s your favorite flower?” I asked, taking a chance.  
She giggled. “Easter Lilies.” She replied with a smile.  
“Good…” I breathed out, leaning back to stare at the starry sky.  
I didn’t even realize I had fallen asleep until Bianca nudged my shoulder with her hand.  
“Bed time…” She signed with a sleepy smile, yawning like a puppy.  
After I sat up, I took a chance.  
I took her face in my hands and leaned in for a soft kiss. Right there. On the Lincoln’s roof. I kissed her. And a moment later, she started to kiss me back, putting her warm palm to my chest. We kissed until my lips were numb and didn’t stop there. Bianca ran her fingers up my hoodie, sending sparks down my body. Then she did something that I’d never imagined would happen from the mediocre kiss we had started with…  
~  
10  
I woke up in a chilled sweat, my heart pounding and breathing unsteady. I opened my eyes to see all white walls and lighting that hurt my eyes. There was a buzzing under my body and the sheets of the bed were an ugly blue color. Hospital.  
I looked around and saw my dad looking wrecked, and to my surprise, Ariel and Ella. Ariel gave me her warm smile and Ella climbed onto my lap with ease.  
“Hi Ella…” I said, my throat scratchy.  
My dad’s face lit up. Oops. He raised his hands to start his clumsy signing.  
“James…You spoke…”  
I shrugged. “Sorry dad…Guess a lot has happened…”  
My dad’s face soon became covered in tears. I tried to lean forward and reach for him but I soon realized that I had a cast on my arm. I stared in disbelief down at the bright red fibery material. I ran my other hand over it. Then I saw writing. Bianca’s little letters written all over it. It was a list.  
Reasons You Shouldn’t Be in Love with Me  
\- I suck at cooking  
\- I’m a frickin’ demonically cursed teenage girl  
\- My brothers and sisters would tear you apart if we ever broke up  
\- I’m afraid to fall in love  
\- I’m in love with you too and I also have no idea what to do about it  
I stared at the last thing on the list in disbelief. There was no way that such an amazing girl like Bianca could ever love the deaf kid that nobody knows. I looked up at Ariel. She still had her warm smile. She slowly raised her hands to sign.  
“I’m sure you have a billion questions but I’ll start with one that I think you should have the answer to first.” Her smiled faded. “Two days ago, you and Bianca were on our roof and after about an hour, the two of you went out for a drive. You crossed an intersection and a drunk driver hit the two of you in the truck. Bianca only had a few scratches but you had a serious injury to your arm. You’ll probably never be able to hold a pen in that hand again.”  
I stared at her like she wasn’t telling me something.  
“Where is she?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady. “Where’s Bianca?”  
“I don’t know, dear. After she got cleared from the hospital, she took off. I’d never seen any of my children run that fast. Even her brothers and sisters never ran that fast. I haven’t seen her in over a day.” Ariel’s face looked like it was taking all she had not to lose it.  
A moment later, the door exploded open and I saw a flash of that metallic skin and I knew she was there. I signed for Ella, Ariel and my dad to leave us alone. They left and Bianca came in, the metallic skin completely covering her body and her vibrant red eyes in full color.  
“You know I’m going to have to get a new cover for my cast, right?” I asked, smiling shyly. She giggled, the silvery armor slowly receding from her skin and her eyes returning to normal.  
Bianca slowly came closer, sitting on the edge of the bed, taking my hand.  
“James…” She said and I squeezed her hand to have her be quiet.  
“No. Bianca, this isn’t your fault. I guess I was going to have to learn to talk more sometime in my life. So I can’t write anymore? So what? I still have another hand and a beautiful, talented, badass demon girlfriend that I wouldn’t trade for anything. My only regret is not telling you sooner. Bianca Lincoln, the list on my arm could never keep me away for I am in love with your smile and your hair and the fact that you could rip Ronni’s arm off and of course I’m in love with the girl who actually looked at me like I wasn’t a waste of space. Bianca, I’m in love with you.”  
Bianca was crying and soon she just fell into my arms, burying her face in my neck. Even in a hospital filled with machines and ugly blue sheets, I was still on top of the world with her.  
Epilogue  
The rest of the years went a little like this…  
Quinlen had met the perfect guy for him when he finally got caught in Rangles without a valid ID. But he still got in for the rest of his high school career because that guy he met that night, of course, was the bouncer’s son. Apparently, Quinlen and this guy Patrick were voted Most Likely to be High School Sweethearts for Life by his senior class. First time in Terrace Hall History, a gay couple had one that superlative.  
Ella ended up skipping middle school and going straight into high school at age 12 because she was just that smart. She was considered the scariest 12 year old anyone had ever seen.  
Mr. Powell’s book became a best seller and wrote another that I consider the real best sellers because of its content. It was called “The Tale of James P. Sullivan” and of course, I edited it for him.  
Ronni and I had an agreement to video chat every week to catch up and to help him get his signing down. The biggest surprise he gave me for my graduation was what he had chosen for his major. American Sign Language. I couldn’t stay mad at him anymore after that.  
Bianca and I graduated from Terrace Hall High as eager seniors ready to be free of being chained down by the life being of high school teenagers. She and I planned on going to Purdue University in the fall. We were finally out of Stonehenge, Indiana and onto West Lafayette, Indiana.  
We were ready to leave that horrible town behind. But Bianca couldn’t leave that school without one last awesome senior prank. But in order to keep her from getting in trouble, I’ll just give you a hint. It involved weed killer and the football field. I fell for an artist. What did you expect?

To: You  
From: Me  
My name is Kathleen M. Oneal and I’m 17 years old. I really wanted to dig deep when I wrote my first novella and I’m really happy with the results. I’d like to thank my favorite teacher Mrs. Liz Gilman for always encouraging me when I would write. She was always the president of my fan club along with my mom. I’d also like to thank my Creative Writing Teacher, Ms. Kathy Nimmer for inspiring everyone she meets. Special Thanks to Everyone who has Supported Me and My Writing!  
15


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